You ’re probably intimate with using Siri to make calls on your iPhone , as well as toopen apps on your iOS gimmick , get information , and set up appointments . But you may be less conversant with iOS ’s other dictation feature , the one that lets you talk to your iOS machine while it convert your words into text .
I ’ve long used dictation on my iPhone , because I have fat thumb and retrieve the keyboard too obtuse to employ . As long as I ’m in a not - too - noisy environment , it works quite well . I have to make corrections at times , but I can dictate tenacious email , short textual matter message , and even expend dictation to enter hunting terminus in Safari or to accede text in text fields on webpages . intimately still , in my early tests , dictation in iOS 7 seems much more exact . Here ’s how you may use dictation on an iOS equipment and save a pot of clip typing .
Turn on dictation
First , you need to ensure dictation is turned on . To do this , go toSettings > General > Siri , and then turn Siri on . Even if you do n’t want to habituate Siri ’s personal helper features , you require to move around it on for spoken language credit to work . you’re able to choose which language you ’re using here , which is peculiarly useful if you speak with an accent . I populate in the United Kingdom , but since I ’m American , I set the language in Siri ’s preferences toEnglish ( United States ) . However , I set myRegionsettings to reflect UK date and times . ( TapGeneraland thenInternational ) .
Dictate anywhere…almost
you could prescribe anywhere in iOS where you could inscribe text . For example , you may compile email , dictate texts , and even dictate search terms in Safari ’s hunt field . Any time you see the small microphone ikon next to the spacebar on the iOS keyboard , dictation is available . Just tap anyplace you’re able to type school text , and then tap the microphone icon to start dictating . When you ’re finished , tapDoneand then waitress for your words to be processed . It can take a few seconds for school text to appear .
Stay in the zone : If you ’re using iOS 7 , when you begin talking , you ’ll see a feedback pane with a hesitate line prove the book of your oral communication . The louder you speaker , the greater the amplitude of the wave . ( If you ’re using iOS 6 , or you ’re using an app that has n’t been updated for iOS 7 , you ’ll see a microphone ; as you speak , the mike will fill with purple light . )
Talk into the microphone : You do n’t need to utter very loudly ; but you should keep your iPhone near to your lip , especially if you ’re outdoors . There are two microphones at the bottom of the iPhone , and a single microphone on iPads , turn up at the top of the twist . It ’s not comfortable to speak directly into the iPad mic while looking at the screen . Speak into the petite hole at the top of your tablet .
You ’ll feel dictation in noisy environments works much well with an iPhone , because it ’s easier to utter close to the microphone . The iPhone also has a noise - canceling mic , which filters out screen background disturbance . You might find that the Apple earbuds that come with an iPhone — which have an inline mic — offer better speech acknowledgment , as do third - political party headphone with mics , as long as you confine them reasonably close to your mouth .
order when connected to Wi - Fi : Dictation to an iOS gadget requires that your voice be beam to a server , where it is recognise and transcribe , and then send out back to your iOS gimmick . For this rationality , order to an iOS twist work best when you ’re using Wi - Fi ; it also form well with a 3 one thousand connection ; but anything slow is hit or neglect , in my experience .
Dictate efficiently
If you ’re familiar with dictating into software system such as Nuance Software ’s $ 160Dragon Dictate , you already have an idea of how to order into an iPhone or iPad . But some background proficiency do n’t work . Here are a few tips to make dictation more efficient .
Speak clearly : You do n’t ask to speak especially slowly , but speaking too quickly will lead to error . The ecumenical melodic theme is to talk like a newscaster : Enunciate , but do n’t exaggerate .
Do n’t say too much : Your voice has to be institutionalise to a outside server , so keep your dictation segments under 30 seconds . ( long than that might be too much for a 3 G connexion . )
Take advantage of autocorrect : While you ca n’t correct mistakes in iOS dictation by voice , you will occasionally see news that iOS thinks might be wrong . They look with dotted blue lines underneath them . Tap an underlined word or idiomatic expression , and you ’ll see one or more options you may opt from .
Speak punctuation and symbols : To admit punctuation mark in your bidding , you call for to say “ comma , ” “ period , ” “ hyphen , ” and so on . watch over out for language differences . For instance , if you ’re using British English , you need to say “ full stop ” alternatively of “ period . ”
you’re able to say “ new line ” to dictate a comeback character , and “ unexampled paragraph ” to tally two returns . You say “ apostrophe ” for a possessive noun , such as “ Jerry Garcia apostrophe S guitar , ” forJerry Garcia ’s guitar .
You ’ll also say thing like “ clam sign , ” “ euro sign , ” and “ pound sterling sign ” to get type the correspond symbols .
When you need to capitalize a word , say “ hood . ” If you ’re sending a content to someone about a movie preference , for example , you might say “ I ’d wish to look out cap lord of the ceiling rings . ”
utilize acronyms with care : you could dictate some acronyms , but not all . You ’ll find out over prison term which ones work and which do n’t . When spelling acronyms , make indisputable to break between missive just enough for them to be discrete .
add together emoticons : Do you want to type smiley ? It ’s easy to dictate them than to switch to the number keyboard . Just say “ smiley , ” “ winky , ” or “ frowny , ” for ð , ð , or ð .
Proofread what you dictate : While some errors will be obvious , and other misinterpretations may have blue dotted lines foreground them , there will be typographical error — or , more correctly , speech - os .
As you get used to dictating into your iPhone or iPad , you ’ll calculate out the right cadence and mass to get the most precise acknowledgement . If you need to typecast a circumstances on an iOS equipment , try using dictation . Whether you use it for text edition messages or emails , it may save you a heap of meter .
